


From your Lips to Sinners Ears

by InsominiacArrest



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Confessions, F/F, Falling for each other, Humanstuck, Nuns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-10
Updated: 2017-03-10
Packaged: 2018-10-02 00:03:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10203893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsominiacArrest/pseuds/InsominiacArrest
Summary: Kanaya is a nun in a small sunny town, and Rose is the weird girl who keeps coming to her with unusual confessions.Tumblr request and based on thispost!





	

_Confession One_

Kanaya was examining the drooping petals of a hydrangea bush, the tiny purple leaves were wilting around the edges and browning green leaves plagued the top of the bush. She wished they would let her replant it- or take a bit of a razor to it.

She wipes her brow, stretching her back and tilting her face up to the sun- letting it wet the angles of her cheeks with a pleasant warmth, she gives a deep satisfied sigh.

Kanaya was tearing off more dead leaves when she hears a rustling near the red wall that faced the street. She blinks a couple times and straightens up, a girl in a deep purple shirt that looked a little too warm for the weather stood with a bike at her side and a placid look on her face.

“I have another one.” She says mildly and Kanaya searches her face curiously for any indication of her intentions.

Kanaya waits for something and clears her throat, “I’m sorry Miss Lalonde,” She says carefully, “As I told you last time, only priests can hear confessions.”  
  
Rose Lalonde, the town occultist as far as Kanaya understood, approached unperturbed, and wheeled her pale blue bike up beside them. “I feel more comfortable around you.” She says with a serene smile and Kanaya feels like she’s telling a joke that no one was in on yet.

Kanaya looks around and then back, “Well, you have to know, I can’t give out any pardons.”  
  
Rose shrugs and looks in her face, “I’m not looking to be pardoned.” Kanaya’s eyes go a little wider and she shifts from side to side.

“Um, well,” Kanaya hums, Rose was smiling again. Once more, as if there was the joke no one was in on yet. “I will listen.” Kanaya concedes and then looks around, “Though, it will be time for me to be going back to the convent soon.”

It’s not the Kanaya particularly wanted to go back, but it’s not like she wanted to be yelled at again either, and she had no idea if this was embarking on a new level of discomfort.

Rose tilts her head and turns toward the street, “I can you walk you back.” She says simply and Kanaya gives in, it might be nice to once again interact with some more people outside of the abbey.  
  
Kanaya tries for a smile, “Go ahead then. It’s a nice day for a walk.” They turn downhill and go to walk through the leafy overhang above the road.

Rose catches her eye and seems to be watching her steadily, “I let my cat drink out of the bathtub while I am still in it.”  
  
Kanaya raises an eyebrow and is once again mystified by her, “Like last time Ms. Lalonde, that is rather...unconventional, but not a sin.”

Rose’s smile broadens and she walks a little closer to Kanaya, “It’s quite suspenseful actually, if Jasper the Third falls in he will most likely tear my leg to ribbons.” Rose frowned grimly, “It is like highest peak of the titanic, inevitably setting course for its own ruin and yet- and yet you can’t look away. Destiny must take its course.” She finishes solemnly and Kanaya was struggling with her levels of sincerity here.

“That’s very poetic.” She says plainly, a little taken in by the stranger who had moved there a month ago.

Rose gave a light laugh, “The saga of my cat's vicarious lifestyle is my next thriller.”  
  
Kanaya’s face lights up with a surprised smile, “I would read it.” Rose gave something Kanaya could only describe as a ‘smirk’ toward her, Kanaya changes to the subject, “Do you write?”

Rose shrugs, “Enough.” She pauses and then turns toward her, “I have another confession.”  
  
Kanaya nods and puts her hand in the air, “Of course, but first,” She does a mock-ceremony,”you are forgiven for cat-human bath involvements. It has been sanctioned.”  
  
Rose gave another laugh behind her hand, “That is all I want out of life, honestly.”  
  
Kanaya feels a little warmth bubble up, perhaps Sister Margaret calling her the ‘Waif of Devil Street’ hadn’t been entirely fair.

“Anyway,” Rose continued as they made it down the narrow street, “I also made a voodoo doll out of my neighbor and threw into the fish tank.” Kanaya blinks a couple times, then again...

She tries to remember some sort of training for this, “Maybe...You should see a priest for that?” She proposes slowly and watches her for her reaction.

“I also put ketchup and soy sauce on my mac and cheese.” She says in the same tone.

Kanaya wrinkles her nose, “I may have to withhold my forgiveness for that one.”

Rose chuckles and Kanaya feels a light hand on her shoulder, “Fair enough miss nun.”  
  
“You can call me Kanaya,” She says quickly, her tongue moving before her brain did.

Rose tilts her head and her eyelids flutter lower, “Kanaya then.”  
  
She gulps, “I hope I can be of service. We uh, aim to spread goodwill and God’s vision?” She’s not sure why her voice goes up at the end or raises an octave.

Rose’s hand is still on her shoulder, they paused at the intersection before her convent, “I can assume you do. Yes.” Rose lifted her chin, “And I hope you spread it well.”  
  
Kanaya felt like there was a stickiness inside her mouth and she just nods, this wasn’t what she was expecting when she moved to the outskirts of Redding California as far away as possible.

Rose takes her hand away, “I also sometimes place worms inside of small rings and have them fight… Dave says it’s unnecessary, since worms cannot truly maim each other, but I believe he really doesn’t have the eye for this. It’s an art. Worm gladiators.”

Kanaya squints slightly, “You are forgiven for worm gladiation as well.”  
  
Rose grins, a sneaky look that made Kanaya frown ever so slightly, “See? Your services are very useful.”

Kanaya smiles, “you also have given me the most unusual conversation I have had in the last month.”

“I live to please,” Rose says with her sparkling eyes and Kanaya bites the inside of her cheek, Rose turns and waves, “I’ll be seeing you around Kanaya.”  
  
All Kanaya can do is nod and wave weakly back, wondering if she had been thoroughly and resolutely ‘punked’ within the last ten minutes.

Rose’s above-the-knee skirt swishes she walks and Kanaya is no less confused than she was the first time she met her.

_Confession Two_

It was late afternoon on a Thursday, the sun was a low burning ball on the horizon and she was wearing a low green v-neck shirt- the one she had been thinking about for days now and Sister Drew hadn’t even caught it when she left that morning.

She was cleaning up a section of gravel near the playset as the sun burned her neck. She luckily hadn’t sweat through her favorite shirt yet- too loose for that, but the day was still uncomfortably hot even nearing 5.

She picked up neon pink silly putty that had been squashed into gravel pieces near the fence when it happened again. She saw the purple sneakers.

Kanaya looks up carefully and sees the young women in form-fitting denim shorts, a striped black shirt, and floppy sunhat the almost covered her left eye.

“Hello,” Kanaya greets first as Rose just looked at her from the other side of the chain link fence.

Rose nods at her, “I didn’t know you worked at the elementary.”  
  
“Oh,” Kanaya dusted her hands up and stood up, feeling particularly sticky and covered in dirty play-do at that moment, “I volunteer for the after-school program.” She blinks as Rose watches her, “Volunteerism, you know. They need...People. And I do things like that.” She says lamely as Rose fixed her short hair with a coy smile.

She nods, “Nunnery, yes, as I see.”  
  
Kanaya itched her wrist, “do you have business here as well?” She tries to find the polite and normal thing to say.

Rose puts her fingers through the fence links, “I like to take walks around the town when I can, it clears my head for the next chapter.” She lifts her eyebrows, “And I figured I could come in for my next confession.”

Kanaya pursed her lips, “I’m a little…” She pauses, _sweaty, slobbered on by children, have gravel in my shoes, and also,_ **_sweaty_** _._ She looks around, “I have to clean up a little more.”  
  
Rose looks around, “I can wait. Unless you want help?” Kanaya inspected her: Rose carried herself like a victorian lady that someone would guess was no less than 65.

She was still a mystery.

She imagines Rose kneeling down to help her pick up loose tissues and Ninja Turtle toys, she looks away. “It’s okay. I can meet you at the entrance in a half an hour.” She says quickly and is not entirely sure why she keeps agreeing to these things.

Rose adjusts her large pale hat and a little noise of affirmation, Kanaya quickly picks up the rest of the soiled gravel pieces when Rose turns her back.

 _She’s just looking for something_ , Kanaya says to herself chidingly, _God? Guidance? Salvation?_ She somehow doubts it.

Kanaya mops herself up as best as she can when she gets back inside and swoops her hair into a presentable position, wiping her her damp brow with a loose paper towel, none of it really helped.

“Thanks for your help today Kanaya, as always,” The first grade teacher said with a large smile and Kanaya just mumbles something back numbly. “Have a nice day!” She says.

“You too,” Kanaya says as she turns to leave.

“I hope you're feeling well,” The teacher says with concern to her back, but Kanaya was already stiffly making her way to the school entrance.

 _Rose is just clearing her conscience._ She tries to figure it out.

Rose was standing stoically by the statue of the school mascot: a Fighting Mongoose and Kanaya tries to smile.

“A pleasure as always Rose,” The words felt right, but came out garbled. It was very unlike her.

Rose walks up alongside her, “I have an admission of a delicate subject today your holiness.”  
  
Kanaya snorts abruptly and then covers her mouth as she laughs, “I am really not your holiness.”  
  
Rose cocks her head to the side, “Your goodness then?”  
  
Kanaya grins slightly, “Sister is fine. And I am trained to hear anything you have for me.” It felt strange asking her to call her sister, but there was no reason not to.

Rose started walking with a mild look and Kanaya steps to be alongside her as they go. They walk in a measured silence as Kanaya feels her shirt tug down with more heat. She waits.

“Kanaya,” Rose says with her hands folded behind her back, “It's a very delicate matter."

"I am a very discrete person." She assures.

"I imagine," Rose says evenly, "For you see, I’ve been having dreams about girls.”  
  
Kanaya nearly halts in place and trips over her own feet, she turns her head in the opposite direction, “Oh.” She sputters.  
  
“Yes,” Rose floats a little closer, Kanaya knows this because she is very very aware of the other woman at that moment, “I have always had dreams about other girls to be perfectly honest.”  
  
Kanaya picks up her walking pace, forcing Rose to hurry to keep up, Rose keeps talking, “They are not ordinary dreams either.”

“I’m sure many people have them.” Kanaya tries to muddle through.

“We hold hands,” Rose clarifies, “We sit by a very large lake and the girl laughs with her hair mussed up ever so slightly, it’s all in the details for these truly troubling dreams you see. And then after that,” Rose says breathily, “she leans in.”  
  
“She leans in?” Kanaya looks back despite everything.

Rose raises an eyebrow, she grins, “We kiss. I’m sure some people have a problem with this, but the dreams don’t, and we...continue.” The look on Rose’s face told Kanaya how the dream continued.  
  
Kanaya tries to remember the protocol for this, “Father Gyeong can hear your thoughts. Then you can do as many Hail Mary’s as necessary.” She says somewhat unwillingly. 

She swears Rose bats her eyelashes, “Won’t you forgive me first?”  
  
Kanaya almost balks and slows down somewhat, “I’m sure they aren’t that bad. Besides...the church is more accepting than they were. _We_ were.” She corrects and doesn’t look her in the face.

Rose hums and Kanaya can almost feel her hovering inches away, “Alright then Sister.” Rose says steadily, “Though I was hoping to get this off my chest.”  
  
Kanaya looks into the sky, redwood trees close enough to be claustrophobia, “We can all be forgiven…” It didn’t sound like her voice saying it.

Rose makes a small sound and she turns, “Interesting.” She pauses, “Well, I trust you to have a nice night then.”  
  
Kanaya feels like her brain paddling counterclockwise at that moment, “You as well,” She says softly, she should tell her to do hail marys or something. “I hope I could be of help...”  
  
Rose looks over her shoulder but doesn’t say anything.

_Confession Three_

Kanaya was lingering.

She was lingering and wavering and pacing back and forth, she should go in. She tells herself to go in.

She pulls on her fingers until they pop and stands in front of a large cement archway with an angel in the center. A sightless frozen angel.

She sighs, looks both ways, and then leans on the archway. She should go in.

She spends several minutes reclining there, feeling the need to bury her face in her hands and wait for everything to stand still. It doesn't.

Of course, several days after their last encounter, she runs into Rose Lalonde again.

She was looking down at her feet, wondering why she wore the low black pumps today of all days- and how ugly they were, when she hears someone clear their throat.

Kanaya looks around quickly and almost wilts when she finds herself face to face with the other women, Rose Lalonde had her hands on her bike handles, “I should clarify that I am not a stalker.” She says with an indent in her brow, “These meetings are fortuitous, I have been trying to spend time in what people have been calling the ‘outdoors’ and trying to ‘please my mother’ by leaving my house.”

Kanaya gives in to a small smile, “I don’t mind Ms. Lalonde. Our meetings are not unpleasant.”  
  
Rose lights up, “Good. Because I quite enjoy them too,” She leans forward, “I have many sins, and I find you ...accommodating.”  
  
Kanaya shakes her head and looks up, “Do you ever stop being a riddle?” She isn’t sure why she finally says it out loud, maybe it’s because she’s been standing miserably outside of a cemetery for an hour.

Rose laughs, a full-bodied one that Kanaya felt was the most real thing she had ever heard, her mouth falls open ever so slightly.

Rose grins and walks a little closer, Kanaya turns her chin down and hopes Rose doesn’t see the puffiness around her eyes.

“Would you like to go for a ride?” Rose asks slowly and Kanaya can only wrinkle her brow in confusion. Rose shakes her bike, “I promise we won’t fall over.”  
  
Kanaya bites her bottom lip delicately and then looks around, as if to check they were alone, her eyes go to the bike, and then to Rose’s face, and then back to her handlebars.

She finally gives a weary smile, “Why not.” It had been a long day.

Rose scoots back, wearing a knee-length stiff dress today cinched at the waist and Kanaya was very taken with her taste, Rose pats the front of her handlebars.

Kanaya hesitates, she was thankfully wearing pants that day but could still hear Karkat’s voice in the back of her head: FUCKING RIDICULOUS. STRANGE GIRLS IN MOUNTAINS CURSE PEOPLE KANAYA.

Knanaya shakes the words out of her head and hops on the sturdy blue handle bars, Rose taps her back and she stiffens, “Ready?” Rose asks and Kanaya gives her a quick thumbs up

Rose kicks off and Kanaya grips her seat more tightly, they start off with an unsteady tremor in the front wheel and a slow wobble but they straighten out and pick up speed as they reach the top of their first hill.

Kanaya clenches her teeth at the top but feels Rose’s breath on her back and an inch of excitement licks her gut. They go sailing forward neatly and Kanaya’s face splits open in a grin.

The wind rushes through her short hair and the hill starts them careening down the narrow little streets and through the web of thick trees.

“Haha!” Kanaya laughs as she holds up her legs and their combined weight speeds the bike through the town, she lets go and opens her arms at one point, maybe this was flying.

Rose for her part keeps her legs pumping and her voice down as they zig-zag back and forth and Kanaya is giggling as they recklessly cross down down each hill.

It’s almost a beautiful feeling, clear and breathless, before they wobble and almost topple over as they reach the first uphill incline.

Rose pants as they try to conquer the steep slope and inch forward, Kanaya peaks behind her, Rose’s face was red with effort, “Should I get off?”  
  
Rose shakes her head, “A challenge makes the soul worth having.”  
  
Kanaya tilts her head, “A religious girl yet.” She says slyly and Rose lifts her chin up.  
  
She chuckles, “Maybe a quick break though.”

Kanaya hops off the handlebars quickly and helps Rose hop off the tall seat of her bike, Rose gestures her off to the side, “It’s a very nice view over here actually.”

Kanaya tucks a stray piece of hair behind her ear and follows her.

They pick their way back down the hill and to a grassy open space off to the side, Rose spreads her arms out wide and lies down, “That’s better.” She says with her eyes almost shut, “Though I have to call my mom now and tell her that exercise is just as dreadful as ever.”

Kanaya raises her eyebrows, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”  
  
Rose put her hand out, “No, no, that was a joke, you were good. Dandy even. Peachy. We are firmly in the realm of ‘swell’ and ‘delightful.’ Ignore my complaining.”  
  
Kanaya snorts, “You never answered my question,” Kanaya says as she tucks herself down and sits next to her, Rose rolls over first. “A riddle.”

“I was simply born this way my dear,” She grins, “A question mark.”  
  
Kanaya shakes her head, “And I heard you were the town witch.”  
  
Rose props her chin with sparkling eyes, “Oh I am!” She cheers and seems very pleased at the prospect, “Eldritch dark God even... I made it rain here last Tuesday.”  
  
“We need more rain!” Kanaya praises and leans down toward her.

Their eyes meet and it’s a very breathless moment, Rose was all very purple eyes and black lipstick printed on her curled lips, “Do you have any confessions Kanaya?” She asks slowly, teasing.

Kanaya stretches out her legs and looks up, “Many. We confess every other day you know,” She reaches for Rose, moving a wild hair aside. “Unless you forgot my occupation.” She says wryly.  
  
Rose crawls forward on her elbows, “Why are you a nun then? Forgive me, but I wouldn’t peg you as the type.”  
  
Kanaya knits her brow together and makes a small indignant noise, “What type?”  
  
Rose looked away and lowered her head, “You were a fashion designer before, right?” Kanaya blinks rapidly, Rose looks up, “I may or may not have googled you.”  
  
Kanaya lets out a surprised laugh, “And I thought no one would know me here.”

Rose’s eyes go soft, “Not to be nosy then…” She hovers a little closer, “But you an enigma yourself, ahem, Sister.”  
  
Kanaya threads her fingers through her hair and then brings her knees up to her chest, hugging them from her front, “I was never opposed to the church. I like their stories. Liked the mother above all else.”  
  
Rose looked almost like she was holding her breath, “And?”  
  
Kanaya sat back, “My mother always said she wanted me to join the abbey, she said an angel spoke to her and said I should go there. A virgin and all still.”  
  
Rose snorts, “Noted.” Kanaya’s face flushed.

“Anyway, it was her last wish that I go into the order...And I just.” Kanaya looked away, “It just ate away at me after she passed.” There is a hesitant silence between them and Kanaya’s felt her face still colored, she rubs her hands together. “And I like the sun. And the quiet.” Half true.

Rose nods and saddles up to her, crawling back to a sitting position, “I like the quiet too. I was hoping it help me finish my next novel.”

Kanaya studies her face, “So you are an author.”  
  
Rose leans on Kanaya’s knee and her heart speeds up, “You didn’t google me? I feel somewhat affronted.”

Kanaya grins forward, “I could google you now if you like.”  
  
Rose shrugs and tilts her head further, “Alas, the romance is gone. It’s too late now.”  
  
Kanaya feels her chest tighten, “Ah, happens to me every time. I’m always late.” Rose gave a small laugh.

“So we are cursed,” Rose started tearing pieces of grass out of the earth, “Do you like being a nun?” Rose asked absently, “Having to confess all the time?”  
  
Kanaya made a face, “Well,” She hesitates, “There are… better things to being a nun now and then.”  
  
Rose blinked a couple times, “Like what?”  
  
Kanaya looks up and shields her eyes, “And a lot of things I am not allowed to do as well.”

Rose nods soberly, “Like letting your cat drink out of your bath while you’re in it?”  
  
Kanaya let’s out a laugh that shakes her head, “Exactly!”

Rose snickers a little bit too, “We sinners get to have all the fun.”  
  
Kanaya hums and her eyes dip down, Rose was staring at her lips and Kanaya couldn’t look away. She was staring at her lips too.

She dry swallows, “You know I confess so much without really anything to say…” She mumbles, “It’s waste.”  
  
She watched Rose wet her lips, a nervous motion, “Oh? That is unfortunate. A waste.”  
  
“Indeed. It feels like I should give myself something useful to confess.”  
  
Rose tilted her chin up and she speaks ever so faintly, a hitch to it, “Oh?”

Kanaya feels her pulse in her wrist, she leans forward. Kanaya rationalizes it to herself, she closes her eyes. She kisses her.

Something small and reactionary protested like a bee sting in the back of her mind, but she wasn’t stopping now.

Rose is soft against her, so soft, tasting like dark cherries and a faint scent of warmth from the bike ride, Kanaya felt her heart in her throat as she moved her lips against hers. It’s like fresh mountain air or coming up from the bottom of a deep lake. It feels like sparks or rosebuds or that downhill ride.

Kanaya tilts her head and she forgot herself, Rose nips on her bottom lip and licks her mouth.

Kanaya releases a happy noise as Rose kisses her into the ground and wraps her arms around her neck. Rose kisses her harder.

A stick digs into her lower back as she is pushed into the grass and she couldn’t care less.

Rose only draws back when they are both breathless and glowing, Rose flutters her eyes and looks back up, “How was that? Something to write your priest about?”

Kanaya lets a long shiver and arches up, “Fuck.” Rose blinks and then her shoulders hunch over and she’s shaking, Kanaya lifts her face, “What?”  
  
Rose lets out what could only be described as a ‘giggle’ and it was so unexpected that Kanaya strokes her cheek, Rose giggles, “The nun says fuck.”  
  
Kanaya starts to laugh too, “I can say other things too. Even the fuck word.”  
  
Rose was laughing and rolling over the grass, “Well I would like to hear them. Every word you know for that matter.”  
  
Kanaya leans forward and kisses her chin, “That may take a long time. I know all of the words for cross-stitch.”  
  
Rose holds Kanaya’s face in her hands, “Well then I’m yours.” Kanaya’s breath hitches in her throat and Rose stares up at her, “I knew I had to talk to you when I saw you holding that chainsaw in the lawn while wearing Versace.” She whispers and Kanaya’s eyes go wide.

“Well if I knew attracting girls was so easy…” She sniffs and Rose kisses her firmly on the lips, Kanaya grins into and whispers, “Maybe I wouldn’t have joined the order.

Rose kisses her ear and her jawline and her nose, her eyebrow, all over her face and Kanaya can’t stop smiling. “You’re going to cover my face in ink.” She protests at Rose’s black lipstick, though she isn’t actually concerned.

“Good,” Rose says as she puts out her hand, “People should know."

Kanaya’s fingers hover over hers, “You are a sinner.”  
  
Rose holds her a little closer, “If that’s not too much for you.”

Kanaya shrugs, “We all are.” She turns her face up to the sun, “It's why I have a job."

Rose laughs and throws her head back, looking up at her with long laughs and a sincere smile, "You want to go out sometime?"

Kanaya beams, "Yes!" She takes her hand and something quivers inside her like a kid seeing fireworks for the first time, "Yes." She takes a deep breath to steady herself, "there is just something I have to do first.”  
  
Rose nods and Kanaya squeezes her hand, they go to go back up the hill and Kanaya makes her way into the cemetery.

Her mother always wanted her to be happy.

And she considers maybe Sister Drew would stop griping at her if she simply confessed about her own dreams about girls and walked out of the room. She could wear her high pumps again after that.


End file.
